A review by genny
The Falling in Love Montage by Ciara Smyth

emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I really liked how Saoirse's conflicted feelings about her parents were explored, and how they color her view of love. Very realistic portrayal of a teenager and I actually laughed out loud
(I just about died when the audiobook narrator kept repeating "Satan's shrivelled left nut" 😭)
. No homophobia here; the characters' problems aren't due to their sexual orientations. It was nice to see young characters so confident in their identities. I was pleasantly surprised by the ending, too!
I expected a more traditional happy-ever-after, but what we got was perfectly in line with the book's overarching theme. I'm impressed that the author stuck by her guns.
I didn't become emotionally invested in the romance, which is why I'm not giving this 5 stars, but IMO it's a near-perfect coming-of-age story that's well worth the time. Oliver ended up as my favorite character.
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